- A case was registered against Odisha MLA Naveen Jain for firing blank rounds during Ram Navami
- The incident caused panic among devotees and raised public safety concerns in Balangir district
- The MLA's Personal Security Officer was suspended and removed from his security detail immediately
A case has been registered against Odisha's Titlagarh MLA Naveen Jain after he was accused of firing blank rounds during a Ram Navami procession in the state's Balangir district, an incident that allegedly triggered panic among devotees and raised public safety concerns.
The incident took place on Friday during Ram Navami celebrations, when several parts of the state witnessed unruly scenes, including reports of hooliganism and reckless behaviour. What was meant to be a religious procession turned tense as managing the crowd became difficult in some areas.
According to initial reports, the MLA allegedly fired blank shots while participating in a shobha yatra. Though no injuries were reported, the firing created fear among the crowd, which included hundreds of devotees.
Police officials said that even though blank rounds were used, discharging a weapon in the middle of a large public gathering violated established safety protocols and raised serious concerns about public security.
Following the incident, the Personal Security Officer (PSO) of the MLA, Premchand Nag, was placed under suspension. The action was taken after the PSO was questioned by the Northern Range Inspector General at the Balangir Superintendent of Police office on Saturday.
Balangir SP Abhilash G confirmed that disciplinary proceedings were initiated against the PSO and that he has been removed from the MLA's security detail with immediate effect.
Titlagarh Police also registered a case against both the MLA and the PSO under relevant provisions of the Arms Act. Cases have also been filed under Section 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 25 of the Arms Act. Police said a detailed investigation into the incident is underway.
Himanshu Behera, Additional Superintendent of Police, Balangir, said an FIR has been registered and notices have been served to the concerned persons. "We have registered an FIR, and concerned persons have been served notice. Besides, the weapon has been seized, and necessary action has been taken against the PSO," Behera said.
(With inputs from Devv Kumar)
